One shot separated doubt from belief…

Xander Schauffele hasn’t had the smoothest year. An early-season injury sidelined him for two months. He missed the TOUR Championship for the first time in his career. The questions started creeping in—not from the media, but from within. But when you’re struggling to find your form, sometimes the best medicine is going back to a place that feels like home.

Japan has always been special to Schauffele. He’s been visiting since he was nine years old to see his grandparents, who were both in attendance this week at 91 and 81 years young. This wasn’t just another tournament stop—it was a return to roots, to family, to a country he genuinely loves. And on Sunday at the Baycurrent Classic, that love came full circle with a final-round 64 that secured his 10th PGA TOUR victory by one stroke over Max Greyserman.

The Battle That Nearly Wasn’t

Greyserman made Schauffele earn every bit of this one. The two went shot-for-shot through most of the day, with Schauffele’s four back-nine birdies to Greyserman’s three ultimately making the difference. But it was razor-thin. Greyserman missed an 11-footer on 15 and a 16-footer on 16 that could have changed everything. His approach on 18 from 182 yards missed forcing a playoff by literally one inch.

This is where champions are made—not in the comfortable wins, but in the grinding ones where your opponent refuses to go away. Schauffele admitted he was “probably just as nervous or more nervous” than the younger players chasing him, because he hadn’t been in that position in over a year. He had to dig deep into his memory bank to remember how to close.

More Than Just a Trophy

What makes this win different from Schauffele’s previous nine? One word: fatherhood. He couldn’t stop talking about getting home to his young son Victor and wife Maya, and about eventually bringing his boy to Japan to experience what he’s been experiencing since childhood. The perspective shift is real—winning still matters, but what it represents has evolved.

“I’m sure when I look back on 2025 at the end of my career, I’ll smile and think it was a great year,” Schauffele said. That’s a man who’s learned that success isn’t always measured by trophy count alone, but by the journey and who you share it with.

The Confidence Builder

Let’s not overlook what this does for Schauffele’s psyche heading into the off-season and 2026. He mentioned that his performance at the Ryder Cup—where he defeated Jon Rahm 4 and 3 despite Team USA’s loss—helped him believe he could still deliver in high-pressure moments. Now he’s proven it in a stroke-play setting too, moving up to No. 3 in the world rankings and joining elite company as the 119th player to reach 10 PGA TOUR wins.

What This Means Going Forward

Sometimes a player needs one win to unlock an entire career chapter. Schauffele was running out of 2025 events to make his mark, and he did it sooner than he expected. The doubts he admitted to having? They’re quieter now. The confidence he was searching for? Found it in Yokohama. The motivation to keep pushing? Waiting for him at home in the form of a little boy who’ll someday understand what his dad accomplished in a country halfway around the world.

Golf can be cruel. It can make you question everything. But it can also remind you why you fell in love with it in the first place—especially when you’re standing in a place that’s meant something to you and your family for decades.